Cuyamaca College names its new president

A Pennsylvania community college administrator has been selected as the new president of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego.

The selection of Stuart Savin, 43, vice president of Harrisburg Area Community College’s Lancaster campus, was approved by the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District board at its meeting Tuesday. ﻿He is scheduled to start in April with a three-year contract and an annual salary of $185,000.

Savin has worked at the Pennsylvania college since 2006. As the chief executive officer of the Lancaster campus, he oversees a $24 million budget and operation of the campus, which has 5,000 students plus an additional 2,000 noncredit and workforce students.

He previously worked at Portland Community College in Oregon, South Seattle Community College in Washington and Rockland Community College in New York’s Hudson Valley. Before that, Savin spent 12 years as a manager in the bus and truck industry, including working as technical training specialist for Automotive Control Corp., a subsidiary of a company that manufactures automotive replacement parts.

Like many of the almost 10,000 students at Cuyamaca College, Savin knows the challenges of attending classes while working. He said he held numerous jobs, including mechanic and service manager, while attending college at the University of Connecticut. Savin said he developed an interest in community colleges when he directed a Chrysler apprenticeship program at Rockland College from 1994 to 1999.

“I thought it would just be a short stint and I never left,” he said.

Savin said he was impressed with Cuyamaca College’s history and tradition, but said it was too soon to offer answers to challenges, such as the effect of the state’s fiscal crisis on community colleges.

“The biggest thing I’ve got to do is learn,” he said.

Cindy Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca district, said she selected Savin because of his experience as a community college administrator and in business. “He brings a diverse background that will fit well with the forward-moving, innovative college that is Cuyamaca,” she said in a statement.

Cuyamaca College has been without a permanent president since July 2008, when Geraldine Perri, who had been president since 2002, left to become superintendent/president of Citrus College in Glendora, a suburb east of Los Angeles. Ron Manzoni is serving as interim president.